The New Nation - Internet Edition

Obama, Hillary teams trade barbs

Hillary and Barack Obama

AP, Washington

Strategists for the campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton exchanged calculated barbs Sunday over accountability and ethics and who is engaging in personal attacks.

Obama communications director Robert Gibbs called on Clinton to release full post-White House tax returns; disclose all congressional "earmarks," or pet projects she had inserted into spending bills; and release all documents on the Clinton Foundation and Clinton Library, including a list of donors.

"What is lurking in those documents?" Gibbs asked as the two campaigns had dueling phone conference calls with reporters.

"There are gaps that need to be filled," said senior Obama strategist David Axelrod. "This is a tried and true technique of the Obama campaign that has repeatedly shifted negative when they find the momentum working against them," said senior Clinton strategist Mark Penn. He suggested the Obama campaign was trying to "deflect public opinion from their losses in Ohio and Texas" and faced with Clinton strength in Pennsylvania.

Obama was heading for Pennsylvania on Monday to campaign, with stops later in the week likely in North Carolina and Oregon. Clinton prepared to give a speech on the Iraq war on Monday in Washington. The Obama campaign's move on Clinton came after a weekend in which the Illinois Democrat sought to ease public concerns about his ties to an indicted Chicago developer and to inflammatory statements by his former pastor.

In interviews with Chicago newspapers, a TV appearance and a Saturday speech in Indiana, Obama disavowed racially tinged comments by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who was Obama's pastor for nearly 20 years before retiring recently.

Obama also worked to distance himself from Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a former fundraiser for the candidate who is currently on trial in Chicago on corruption charges.

Obama's team asserted that Clinton was continuing to shield financial documents from public scrutiny at the same time she was calling for greater accountability.

Blind governor

David Paterson

BBC Online

The downfall of New York's Governor Eliot Spitzer means that, from today, the state will have its first African-American governor.

David Paterson - who served as Spitzer's Lieutenant Governor - will also be America's first visually-impaired governor.

He was born in 1954, the son of Basil Paterson, a former Deputy Mayor of New York and a powerful man on the state's political scene.

In his childhood following an infection, David Paterson became blind in his left eye and was left with very limited sight in his right.

He did not let his visual impairment block his academic progress, though, and he was admitted to Columbia University in New York, where he studied history, graduating in 1977, before attending Hofstra Law School.

He became a member of New York's state senate in 1985, and served as the Democrats' minority leader in the chamber from 2002 until 2006, when he stood for the post of Lieutenant Governor as Spitzer's running mate. At the time, commentators were puzzled by his decision to run for the largely ceremonial post. As minority leader in the state senate, Paterson was in pole position to become majority leader in the event of a Democratic takeover - which, at least until news of Mr Spitzer's scandal broke, seemed likely to happen in November. Paterson's gamble now appears to have paid off, however, as he prepares to take over from Spitzer as governor. Paterson is a prominent campaigner for the rights of the disabled, and successfully completed the New York marathon in 1999. He lives in Harlem with his wife, Michelle Paige Paterson, his son Alex, 13, and Ashley, 19, his wife's daughter from a previous marriage.

Some people have remarked on the contrast between Paterson and the fiery Spitzer. "He's got a wonderful sense of humour, a very gentle man - in that sense, he's the opposite of Eliot," Betsy Gotbaum, the New York City public ombudswoman told the New York Times.

With his state senate background, Paterson is expected to have a less combative relationship with New York legislators than Spitzer, who had difficulties getting the Republicans in the legislature to approve his policy programmes.

Policy on corporate social responsibility in the offing

Staff Reporter

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for Industries Mahbub Jamil yesterday said that the Government would take initiative to formulate a policy for industries and business enterprises in the country to carry out welfare activities under Corporate Social Responsibility.

Addressing a workshop titled "`ISO 26000- the CSR Standard," under a project of British High Commission in Dhaka on "Business Case for CSR in Bangladesh" at BRAC Centre-INN in the capital, he said due to lack of proper education and trainings the social responsibility in the trade and industries sectors has not developed.

Expansion of our private sector trade and enterprises has been started from the 80s. The trend of our businessmen and entrepreneurs is to earn profit and profit and they have no commitment to the society, he said. The Special Assistant said a specific policy is required for all the national and the multi- national companies to take extensive CSR activities with a view to reduce the sufferings of the poor people of the country.

The function was also addressed, among others, by Acting British High Commissioner Duncan Norman, Chairman of Reed Consulting BD Ltd. Rodney Reed and Director UK Trade and Investment of British High Commission Kevin Ringham.

Director of CSR Asia of University of Hong Kong Dr Richard Welford and Director of BSTI Liaquat Ali made separate presentations on "ISO 26000-Guidance on Social Responsibility" and Implementing ISO 26000 in Bangladesh respectively.

Emphasising the need for implementation of CSR, Mahbub Jamil said implementation of CSR activities mean business enterprises are a part and parcel of the society and they got the responsibility towards society and environment. "Implementation of CSR is essential in the country like Bangladesh as half of the country's population is living below poverty line and facing devastating natural calamities such as flood and cyclone," he observed.

The Special Assistant said the CSR basically linked to the concept of sustainable development businesses need to integrate the economic, social and environmental impact in their operations.

Referring to the socio-economic scenario of the country, he said businessmen and philanthropists should pay their due attention to the CSR activities as their responsibility to the society.

Mahbub Jamil, however, said that many organisations were already engaged in social activities; more are actively considering.

"A lot of the sufferings of the poor population of this country can be alleviated through extensive CSR activities," he observed.

Duncan Norman said Bangladesh needs more business enterprises implementing CSR activities for making the country prosperous one and doing better business in the world markets.

"I encourage the government of Bangladesh to work with BSTI and other stakeholders of industry to ensure that Bangladesh fully understands the benefits of CSR and the implications of implementing ISO 26,000," he said.

Hasina’s trial deferred again

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

A Dhaka court has deferred once more the proceedings in a graft case against Awami League president and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, involving illegal contracts for setting up three barge-mounted power plants.

Judge Md Firoz Alam of Special Judge's Court-1, set up on the Sangsad Bhaban premises, adjourned proceedings yesterday until March 23 as Hasina was unable to appear in court.

Sheikh Hasina was admitted to Square Hospital on March 11. Specialist doctors have advised that she should be sent abroad for appropriate medical treatment.

The same court had previously deferred the hearing for the same reason on March 13 to March 17 (Monday).

US urges China to talk to Dalai Lama as concern grows over Tibet

AFP, Washington

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday called on China to open talks with the Dalai Lama amid mounting international unease over China's crackdown on protests in Tibet.

The Netherlands summoned the Chinese ambassador to express concern and the European Union also said it was troubled, but Russia insisted the Tibet crisis was an "internal matter" for China.

Rice renewed a US appeal for China to show restraint in Tibet saying there was now a "terrible situation".

"We have really urged the Chinese over several years to find a way to talk with the Dalai Lama, who is a figure of authority, who is not a separatist, and to find a way to engage him and bring his moral weight to a more sustainable and better solution of the Tibet issue."

"There has been a kind of missed opportunity here for the Chinese to engage the moral authority of the Tibetan people," she told reporters as she headed for a visit to Moscow. China refuses to hold negotiations with the Nobel Peace prize winning Dalai Lama, who they accuse of separatist activities.

Tibet's exiled leaders have said about 100 people have been killed in the crackdown on anti-Chinese protests. China said Monday that the protests had claimed 13 civilian lives and denied using deadly force.

The impact of the unrest has grown with the Beijing Olympics to be held in August.

Russia insisted that China's relations with the Dalai Lama were "an internal matter" for China and criticised attempts to "politicise" Beijing's hosting of the Games.

"We hope that Chinese authorities will take all necessary measures to counter illegal activities and guarantee a rapid normalisation of the situation in the autonomous region," said a Russian foreign ministry statement.

The ministry added that "attempts at politicising the holding of the 2008 Olympic Games in China are unacceptable." The European Union also opposed a Games boycott over Tibet.

"We are very concerned by the events in Tibet and we are calling for restraint on all sides," the EU commission's external relations spokeswoman said. But the spokeswoman added that "a boycott would not be the appropriate way to address the work for respect of human rights, which means the ethnic and religious rights, of the Tibetans."

The influential Australian Olympic Committee said it also does not support a boycott.

But French Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande said France must "consider" withdrawing its athletes. "It is the least we can do," Hollande told French radio. "I am not saying that this would be the solution but we must use every arm and all kinds of international pressure." China risks wrecking its international image as the Olympic host if the Tibet violence escalates, Britain's Minister for Africa, Asia and the United Nations, Mark Malloch-Brown, warned.

China has to "understand the consequences of escalation in terms of the damage to (its) international standing, and the damage to this event, the Olympics, that they've invested so much in, financially but also morally," he told BBC television.

Decentralisation of industries urged

Staff Reporter

Centralisation of industry is the major cause of urban poverty and the government should take initiative to decentralise industries to solve the problem, said speakers in press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday.

"Coalition for the Urban Poor" (CUP), an organisation for the urban poor people in cooperation with a number of local and foreign NGOs informed the journalists about a workshop related to the urban poor that will be held tomorrow.

Mustafa Quaium Khan, executive director of the organisation, explained their aims. These are to ensure sustainable development of lifestyle of the urban poor, to support to fulfil their fundamental demands, to submit proposals to the highest body of government to provide them utility services and many others.

He said Bangladesh Urban Round Table (BURT) is a platform of various local and international organisations working in Bangladesh for policy advocacy, lobbying and social migration. Under this platform we conducted consultation workshops in five divisional cities and a workshop would be held in the capital tomorrow.

AN Md Emam Hasanath, chairperson of CUP, said, "We will draft 'Urban Poverty Position Paper' in the light of reports of these workshops. The current situation of urban poor, their sufferings, the way of developing their lifestyle and many other issues will be included in the paper".

The paper would help to draw attention of the government, donor agencies and NGOs for the betterment of their lives. He added.

Six murder case in Narsingdi 7 sentenced to death

Narsingdi Correspondent

Seven accused of the Narsingdi Seven Murder Case were given death sentences and fined Tk 10,000 each yesterday by Additional District and Session's Judge Court.

The convicts would be hanged by the neck until death. Additional District and Session's Judge of Narsingdi AKM Abul Kashem sentenced the accused amid high security in the court compound. The convicted are Dudu Miah, Fazlu member, Akhtaruzzaman Biru, Zahangir, Swapan, Shafiq and Shahid Miah.

On late night of May 17 2007, the accused killed at least six people in a house at Juboraj Villa at Velanagar in Narsingdi during robbery, the brief description of the case said. The dacoits killed housekeeper Rayes Uddin (52), his wife Salma Begum (48), daughters Yuna (28) and Sharna (24), son Razib (22) and adopted daughter Urmi (8).

Dacoits looted a mobile phone of Razib and locked the main gate of the house after killing the inmates. After four days of the incident police recovered dead bodies of the six persons from the house after being informed by the neighbours.

Brother-in-law of Rayes Uddin, Shahzahan Bhuiyan filed two cases with the Narsingdi Police one for gang rape and the other for robbery and murder. RAB-2 ASP Babul Akhter was the investigation officer of the case, who arrested the seven accused after tracing the looted mobile phone from Bhairab, Brahmanbaria and Raipura. The accused confessed to the killing of the six persons.

Meanwhile, our Nalchity Correspondent reports: A mill worker was killed and two others were injured in a road accident at Surjopasha village under Nalchity upazila in Jhalakathi district yesterday morning. The deceased was identified as Nurul Islam (40) of Shurajpur, police and local sources said. The injured are Maksud Ali, elder brother of Nurul (50) and Nazir (30), a van-puller.

Blood donors for life honoured

Staff Reporter

The Voluntary Blood Donation Programme of the Quantum Foundation honoured one hundred blood donors for life by distributing crests among them at a function at its meditation hall in the city yesterday evening. They were the 27th hundred recipients of the honour from the foundation.

The Quantum Foundation that started honouring blood donors for life since the year 2003 has in its list 75,000 irregular blood donors, of them 9,200 are donors for life who are pledge-bound give blood at four-monthly intervals.

There is an elaborate arrangement for hygienic collection of blood, screening the blood for five infectious diseases before storing safe blood in the foundation's blood bank for distribution on demand.

Madam Nahar Al-Bokhari, chief coordinator of the voluntary blood donation programme, told the meeting that the nation would forever remember the blood donors for life because their blood would save many lives. She requested all to spread the message so that others become voluntary blood donors. This is urgent to reduce and at once stage overcome dependence on professional donors for blood, because the professional donors are mostly drug addicts and most often carry infected blood.

Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor, The New Nation who was the chief guest at the function said the blood donors for life and their organisers, the Quantum Foundation, reflected a positive contribution to the society and the growth of great institutions dedicated to the service of the humanity. He called for projecting such good works to inspire others.

Md Hafizur Rahman Maina, founder and chairman of the council of advisers of the Pallima Sangsad said that blood donors lead more healthy life than others. He called for removing misconceptions on blood donation with a view to meeting the demand for blood for patients.

Earlier in her address of welcome Masuda Aktar Abedin, coordinator of the programme, said that blood collected in this February by them totalled 4,300 bags. The annual national demand for donor blood is 400 thousand units, 60 per cent of which is collected from professional donors.

Imon, Ishaque taken on fresh remand

Staff Reporter

The CMM Court of Dhaka yesterday sent two notorious criminals Sanjidul Islam Imon and Ishaque Ali on remand for the second time.

The Investigation Officer sought remand for another 10 days but the court granted only five. They have already been quizzed for eight days but the police needs to interrogate them further, the IO prayed to the court. Police demanded fresh remand for Imon to question him in connection with an arms case, while Ishaque regarding a gold smuggling case.

During his earlier remand Imon confessed to his interrogators that his group killed National University Professor Aftab Ahmed. He also confessed to two other murders. He also told the police of his close connection with weapon traders in Chittagong and his collection of AK-47 and M16 firearms for his group. However, he used small arms on murder missions, he told his interrogators.

The CID police demanded further remand for Imon to extract information necessary to recover explosive weapons from his notorious group. Police prayed for remand to Ishaque Ali to unearth an international gold smugglers ring. He was accused of smuggling gold worth Tk 3 crore from Zia International Airport.

Both Imon and Ishaque fled to India following a police crackdown on identified terrorists in 2006. They were arrested in Kolkata and sent back home early this month.

They have reportedly revealed involvement in sensational crimes implicating BNP leaders, including former state minister for home affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar.

Taslima Nasrin to leave India

Guardian, UK

The exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin has announced that she will leave India, claiming the conditions she has been living under in Delhi amounts to 'virtual house arrest' and that she has been denied urgent medical attention.

Nasrin fled Bangladesh in 1994 when a court ruled she had 'deliberately and maliciously' hurt the feelings of religious Muslims. Her books remain banned in the country.

After a decade in Europe, she moved to Kolkata in 2004, where she planned to settle, but came under increasing pressure from Muslim groups' protests at her 'anti-Islamic' novels and memoirs. These culminated last November in violent protests, which saw her taken under government protection to a safe house in the Delhi area.

According to Nasrin, her health has deteriorated dangerously under the stress of her situation, and she has been refused proper access to doctors for a serious heart condition, as well as visits from friends. In a distraught email to journalists, Nasrin said last night that a government keen to see her leave has kept her away from doctors for what it claims are 'security reasons.'

Nasrin, who holds a Swedish passport, said that she now has no option but to leave India but has not indicated where she will go.

Cathy McCann, Asia researcher at the writers' association International PEN, said the organisation was unaware of Nasrin's health problems. "Our focus is on the impunity with which the Indian government is treating the attacks against her." She added that Nasrin's situation could be resolved if the Indian government were to issue a full condemnation of the protests.

No official of the Indian government has so far been available for comment.